CATS' COOKIE CRUMBLES
B Jensen 5 June 2005

"ONE WEEK IS A LONG TIME IN FOOTBALL". One week sure is a long time in football.. Saturday week ago at 2:09PM most of us would've been quite satisfied with where things were at. Not so now.. on Friday night the Cats suffered their second defeat in succession, at the hands of lowly ranked Collingwood by a touch over four goals. The Pies now have three wins in a row for a total of four, the win over the Cats giving them the top two scalps along with West Coast.

Henry Playfair was a late withdrawal, replaced by Cameron Thurley. Another Cameron, Mooney, didn't get reported but did cost his team a goal from a fifty-metre penalty but should play next week. Josh Hunt was reported for striking Collingwood's Chris Egan. Gary Ablett spent some time off the field with what appeared to be a groin injury.

David Johnson will miss at least one and maybe two months with a severe hamstring injury (which The Cattery is currently inflicted with!) It comes at a bad time for David and the club; he'd finally cemented a spot in the senior lineup after being a fringe player for the last few seasons. Johnson debuted in the same game as Gary Ablett in round one 2002, and promptly broke his ankle.

The Cats never appears to be in the match, and while the Magpies certainly played very good football, especially Alan Didak, Geelong did not do themselves any favours in the second quarter. The Cats trailed by two goals at quarter time after kicking a few late goals, but in the second quarter could manage only one goal, compared to the Magpies' six goals four behinds.

In the second half the Cats improved. In the third quarter Geelong tried but each time the margin got within thirty points, the Magpies kicked another goal. By late in the third term it appeared only a miracle could see the Cats win this match. A harsh fifty-metre penalty awarded against the big, hairy cat Cameron Mooney snuffed out what hopes we had of mounting a final quarter comeback.

Most Geelong fans would have excused themselves to do other more worthwhile pursuits than watch their team go down, but the Cats did mount a comeback of sorts, at one stage getting to within about two goals. But Collingwood were deserving victors by twenty-five points and take great form into their once-feared month of June.

The Cats, on the other hand, after suffering defeats by the Dockers at home and now the Magpies, face the rampant Adeladie Crows at Skilled Stadium. The Crows leapfrogged the Cats on the ladder, and now sit in third position behind Melbourne. A win over the Crows and the Cats' season's back on track; a loss and the one-time premiership favourites find themselves pushing the proverbial uphill to be a legitimate contender.

COLLINGWOOD: 5.2, 11.6, 14.11, 18.13 (121)
GEELONG: 3.3, 4.5, 9.10, 14.12 (96)

GOALS – COLLINGWOOD: Didak 5, Rusling 2, Caracella 2, T. Cloke 2, Burns 2, Tarrant 2, O'Bree, Maxwell, Holland
GEELONG: Kingsley 3, Lonergan 2, Mackie 2, Ablett 2, Ottens 2, Riccardi, Chapman, Ling
BEST – COLLINGWOOD: Didak, Holland, Lockyer, Shaw, Licuria, Swan, Clement, O'Bree
GEELONG: Enright, Kingsley, Ling, Kelly, Chapman, Ablett, Milburn